Category Archives: Our Future

A New County Commission

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One thing is sure, the Martin County Commission will have two new members within a few weeks. How will that effect the governmental direction of the county? What changes will there be in development policy? Will the Customs House be back? What about the pending contract with the county fire fighters? What about taxes? What is in store for the relationship between Stuart and Martin County? These are only some of the questions I have.

Elections are supposed to express the will of the people. In two of the three races for Martin County Commission, only half the voters could participate because of Florida’s election laws. While every candidate acted lawfully, the law itself still disenfranchised every registered Democrat and Independent. Perhaps this is a reason why we will see a sizable minority not happy with the direction this new commission takes.

What is wrong with the Democratic Party in Martin County that they could not field one candidate for County Commission? Is being on the Democratic line so toxic that it isn’t worth the effort? There is something wrong with the state of our politics when there is not a healthy two-party system. I would suspect not everyone who ran for a county office is really a Republican. You shouldn’t have to pretend that you are a Republican to do so.

And as I have already written, what does it matter what your party affiliation is in being a good county commissioner? We need to change that provision of the law regarding “write-in candidates” on a state level. We cannot have a sizable number of voters disenfranchised. This just adds to our political problems.

While I don’t know what the future brings (except on the Customs House), I do know it will be interesting. The wheels on the county bus go round…round…round. It sort of is déjà vu with Ed Ciampi once again sitting on the dais. But there will be a different spin to this line up because of the new guy, Harold Jenkins. Watch Mr. Jenkins. He will be the third vote on issues one way or the other.

Is the System Rigged?

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I am happy that I was re-elected in August by the Stuart voters.  The election for City Commission is non-partisan. To file to run, all you have to do is fill out forms and submit the approximately $180 fee to the City Clerk. Voters who are registered Democrats or Independents do not have to worry that party affiliation or lack thereof will prevent their casting a vote for City Commission. It is too bad that these same voters may not be able to vote in Martin County Commission races.

Currently sitting on the Stuart City Commission there is one Democrat and four Republicans. I have yet to see one of us making a decision based on belonging to a particular political party. A City Commissioner of whatever political persuasion needs to keep the roads paved, the police answering calls and the garbage collected.  My fellow commissioners and I just want to do what is best for our residents and taxpayers. What political party you may belong to is immaterial.

The Martin County Commission does the same thing that the City Commission does, only with a much larger budget. There is no Democratic or Republican way of filling a pothole. Our parks are maintained the same regardless of a commissioner’s political affiliation. It is ridiculous, then, to run elections for County Commissioners as if party affiliation matters.

Martin County currently has 55,091 registered Republicans, 27,554 registered Democrats and 26,711 registered “Other.” In the vast majority of local races, a Democrat never even files to run. Therefore, the Republican primary decides who will be elected. That is because under Florida law, if there is no challenger from the other party then every voter regardless of party affiliation can vote in the primary. However, if a “write in” candidate decides to run, then the primary is closed and only Republicans may vote. A “write in” candidate does nothing more than file. His/her name won’t appear on the ballot, and there is no intent for that candidate to campaign or engage the voters in any way.

This ridiculousness has resulted in an 18-year-old high school student who filed as a “write in” preventing anyone but registered Republicans from voting for the District 1 seat. Whether you thought Smith or Thurlow-Lippisch was the better choice, if you are an Independent or Democrat you were not part of the decision during the primary election. Your choice on the November general election is between Commissioner Smith and a high school student.

I am a proud Republican. I participate and sponsor party events. I believe there is a philosophical difference between the parties. When it comes to our state and federal representatives, there should be a partisan influence on whom is chosen and why. When you are deciding policies and passing laws that have a definite philosophical bent, then reasonable partisanship is warranted.

There is no Republican way to fight a fire or answer an emergency call. There is no Democratic way to maintain a road. Some of my Republican friends will not agree with me. Some believe that everything in government should be seen through a partisan prism. I am not one of those people. I don’t do more for a Republican constituent than I do for a Democratic one. Every resident expects the same level of service and should receive the same. That is local government.

We need to stop disenfranchising half of Martin’s voters. They should not have to switch party affiliation in order to cast a ballot. A candidate to run for office should not have to pretend that he or she is a Republican to have a chance of being elected. We need to urge the legislature to make county commission races non-partisan or at the very least stop allowing “write in” candidates to close the primary.

This is one more example of the hypocrisy in our elective process. We need to make sure that voters don’t feel the system is rigged. Making local races non-partisan would help accomplish this. Anytime you can disenfranchise half the county’s voters, you are continuing to have our citizens think the system is rigged. For Martin County voters, this just may be true.

As I Begin My Second Term

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As I begin my second term, I want to say thank you to all those who supported and voted for me in the election. I am pleased to know that a vast majority of voters believed I had represented their interests for the past two years. I promise moving forward that I will continue to do so by looking how individual issues affect the entire City. Each project and ordinance must be scrutinized within that context.

Second, I want to commend my opponent, Patrick McGavock, for his campaign. He conducted himself as a gentleman. Similarly as I do, he wants what only is best for our City. I respect his efforts.

Throughout my first term, I have made myself available to meet individually, in groups, to speak by telephone or hear from you through e-mail and now through my new Facebook page, Commissioner Tom Campenni, City of Stuart. I will continue to have an open door.  I have tried to attend a wide variety of different events because I believe part of my job description is just that. By being at different civic and non-profit events, I not only represent myself but all of Stuart.

I will continue writing this blog. This gives everyone a chance to become acquainted with my views on issues that are important to Stuart and Martin County. Too many elected officials do not want you to know what their stance is on a subject; I am not one of those. After reading something I have written, let me know how you feel about it by sending an e-mail.

Another communication tool I used was my e-mail blasts before commission meetings to let the citizens know what is going on at the City. I am going to keep on doing so now that I am re-elected. Anyone who wants to receive the e-mails and currently does not, please send your e-mail address to me.

I have also made it a point to speak before various groups and organizations. Public officials have a responsibility to do so. The public should demand no less from us. So if you want me to speak at your organization, condo or homeowner association, church or club, let me know and I will be glad to do so.

I promise not to vote for projects that are environmentally unfriendly. I will not vote for projects that are not market oriented and privately driven. The private sector knows far more than government. It is their investment of cash and experience that will make the project successful. Government’s responsibility is to provide a framework through zoning and Land Development Codes and to insure a level playing field for all. I do believe in public-private partnerships, especially with non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity, to advance the well-being of the City.

I do not want to see us in a combined facility with the County or School Board. I am not in favor of moving the current City Hall unless an independent funding source is found to pay for it that does not increase your taxes. I am not in favor of moving City Hall unless there is a free market project that will bring substantial income to the City. I am not in favor of moving City Hall if we have to sacrifice one inch of Flagler Park to do so. For me to consider voting to move City Hall, all three of those conditions would have to be met.

I will not vote for an increase to our 4-story height limit. Nor will I vote for projects that turn our downtown and other areas of Stuart into Delray Beach. I believe that the quality of life for residents is paramount. I do believe we can continue to have our “Old Florida” feel and uniqueness.

I am in favor of having new people, jobs and businesses come to Stuart. We need to attract and keep businesses and institutions like Martin Memorial Health Systems and NUCO2. We need to strive to have the employees of businesses live within our borders by having many different forms of housing. The majority of tax distribution is apportioned by population. While we may be the business generator for Martin County, because we are now only a little more that 10% of Martin County’s population, we do not receive anywhere near the percentage of taxes we generate.

The key to a City’s survival is not only being a magnet for businesses and jobs but also for people. Millennials who want to start families need to live in Stuart and not flee to Palm City or Jensen Beach. As a City Commissioner, I have no say over our school system, but I will continue to support and help both J.D. Parker and Stuart Middle become better. Stuart needs to be considered home to all generations and be multi-cultural. A city with a varied population is a strength and not a weakness.

I promise to continue being a Commissioner that attends as many different advisory board meetings as possible. This allows me to understand issues that may or may not come before the Commission. As a board member of both the Treasure Coast League of Cities and the Florida League of Cities, I will work with my regional and statewide counterparts to solve problems such as the Indian River Lagoon. I will lobby and work with both state and federal officials to address environmental and other issues such as “All Aboard” and Sober Homes.

When I decided to become a Commissioner and then run for reelection, I did so because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to use my experience as a business person to tackle the problems that Stuart faces. I am going to do just that. I will continue to oppose projects that I believe are bad and support those that are good for the entire City of Stuart.

 

Unintended Consequences

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The EcoGen project slated for Indiantown has been cancelled due to problems with county approvals. I don’t know whether this type of use would be harmful to our environment or not. On the face of it growing eucalyptus trees and then producing electricity with the bio-mass seems to be a good idea. Perhaps the county is correct and this would have been a bad project.  The problem is any economic development proposed seems to be bad. At some point, the majority of residents and business people stop believing the county commission is looking at economic development projects impartially.

How long does the majority on the Martin County Board of Commissioners ignore the wishes of the residents of Indiantown and other un-incorporated areas? If Martin County tries to staunch all new industry, there will be unintended consequences. Those consequences will lead to the very type of harmful growth and urban sprawl that the county commission is against.

It is apparent to me that Martin County is on an unsustainable course. Real estate taxes are close to the maximum millage allowed by statute. Our county’s infrastructure is literally falling apart. Apparently, the county is incapable of enacting common sense budgetary reforms that would lessen the cost of providing governmental services. Without measured sustainable development both in housing and business, Martin County will be in dire financial straits.

Communities from Hobe Sound to Indiantown feel that their desires are not being met by county government. It is impossible for the county commission to adequately represent the diverse interests of the residents of Rio and western Martin County. The majority of the county commissioners are trying to micro manage instead of allowing the people to have a say over their individual communities. The way county government operates is broken and needs to have much more input from the citizens.

Now with the near abandonment of any autonomy to the county CRA districts, the commission is pushing those distinct areas into forming independent cities and towns. I believe that the formation of new municipalities throughout the county will ultimately result in better government at both the county and municipal level. Municipal government will allow more direct representation of the wishes of the electorate. The people of Palm City will determine whether they want industry or not. Residents in Rio will decide whether and what type of housing will be built.

The development within those communities will reflect the will of the people who live within the municipal boundaries. Further, the level of governmental services will only be that which those residents want and are willing to pay to have. This will result in much less county taxes being levied on all Martin taxpayers. For instance living in Stuart, I see the benefit of having a professional fire/rescue department and am willing to pay for that level of service. If I lived in rural Martin County, I would be in favor of having a volunteer fire department and privatization of ambulance service. Different areas within the county have different expectations of levels of service.

County government was originally to be limited in nature and act as an arm of the state providing those services constitutionally mandated. Martin County, through its one size fits all approach to the delivery of traditionally municipal governmental services, has succeeded in becoming an unresponsive and bloated bureaucracy. As the area and scope of services have increased, fewer and fewer residents and taxpayers are happy with the outcome. If the more populated areas of the county incorporate, I can easily see Martin County cutting its workforce and lowering county taxes substantially.

Of course, the new municipalities would now have to levy taxes and provide services. From public works to parks to law enforcement, the type and cost would be determined by those living and paying within the municipalities. If in the next few years Martin County does not have new municipalities formed, county government will be unsustainable since it will no longer be able to raise the millage rate.

At one time in the not too distant past, Martin County was rural with Stuart as a small county seat. This is no longer the case as more and more of the county has become urbanized and suburbanized. What Martin County government has failed to do is adapt to these changes. I agree with the vast majority of county residents that we do not need unfettered growth outside the Urban Services Boundary. However, within that boundary, jobs and development do need to happen.

If you want to preserve Martin County, we will need to think about governing differently. Control over governmental functions in these now urban and suburban unincorporated areas have to be placed in the hands of local residents. There are distinct differences between Hobe Sound, Indiantown and Palm City, and our governing bodies need to reflect this fact. The less the “Big 5” on Monterey control, the better the outcome for all of Martin County including the preservation of the Urban Services Boundary and lessening of sprawl in the remaining unincorporated areas.

Today’s River Report

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I was on a local radio panel with Stephen Leighton, whose company, Oceansphere Technologies, had just cleaned Central Marine of its toxic algae. It was such a thorough job that it went from a 1000 times greater than what the World Health Organization finds acceptable to clean enough for Stephen and his crew to be swimming in the marina water. That was fantastic because the marina could re-open for business and people could go back to work.

While this technology has remediated Central Marine’s problem for now, if something is not done on a macro level, our problems will only continue and get worse. Depending to whom you speak on this subject, the answers will be different and to a lay person like myself confusing. Here is what I do understand…Florida’s watershed evolved in a certain way. We came along and disrupted Mother Nature. The only way it will be fixed is to imitate the original as closely as possible.

By doing so will there be disruptions to our economy and level of growth? Absolutely there will be. The Feds, State and local governments will have to be part of the solution. That will mean we will all have to adapt the way we live. Agricultural practices will need to change. Some of the interior of Florida will have to revert to its original state. Development will need to be curtailed in certain areas. Lake Okeechobee was never meant to be a reservoir. Our highways such as I-75 and the Tamiami Trail will need to be elevated to allow water to flow south.

The over abundant use of fertilizer has to stop not only on our lawns but on our golf courses and farms throughout the state. We should continue with bringing in new sewer systems and making people hook up to them once available. For those that can’t afford to pay all at once, the Federal and State governments should offer loans and grants to do so. From the Panhandle to the Keys, we need to stop pointing fingers and work together.

There are no magic bullets and simple solutions or can we ignore the obvious. We have severe problems. We need to stop using the phrase “lost summer” as if this were a temporary problem when it is not. Stuart and Martin County are harbingers of what will occur throughout Florida unless we stop the political shenanigans and crony capitalism. This is a man-made problem caused by good and bad intentions, short sightedness and sometimes pure greed. We are responsible.

On the river in back of my home empty bottles and other debris are in the water amongst the rocks along the shore. I haven’t cleaned it for a while. I have been afraid. This week like last there is no green algae on the river. It is black and dark without much evidence of marine life. How long do we allow this condition to continue?

The River Isn’t Green This Week

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Another week has passed. The attention that Stuart and Martin County have received from the national news media because of the algae has been incredible. Special reports, columns, cameramen and opinions have been broadcast, written and opined. But are we any closer to a solution? I am pessimistically sure that we are not.

What has fundamentally changed? Did we suddenly buy the land to our south? Have the Feds allocated the money to complete the projects that are already on the books? I fear not. Did agricultural subsidies and supports go away? Was there financial campaign reform? Has the Governor finally seen the ecological light? Has the President issued a Declaration? Sorry to report…none of the above.

This failure to correct our problem was not from a lack of trying by our local elected leaders on the Treasure Coast. But we are barely 3% of the state’s population…insignificant to the power brokers of Tallahassee and Washington. President Obama loves playing golf here but hasn’t mentioned our plight even once. If you write him a letter, you get a form one back that doesn’t even mention the reason you wrote, which is a feat of shear political magic.

Will it ever change? Maybe there is just a ray of hope. A reason we can be optimistic. We, the people, are just fed up with the status quo. We are tired of being ignored or being condescended to. Our communities are being ruined in the name of corporate and political greed. We are now the disciples of Howard Beale from the movie, Network that shouted, “We are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore!”

We have been treated to technology that cleans and polishes the water so that the algae either is or appears to be gone. Some elected officials and citizens are headed to Washington as they did in the now not-so-bad lost summer of 2014. But I still hear the Republicans shouting at the Democrats and Florida blaming the Feds and the inverse in all of the above. Each of these people will tell you that they are not to blame in “political-speak”…that it is really the other guy.

This week, the river isn’t green in back of my house. This week, the water is just not alive. This week, it is black, mucky, and loaded with bacteria. Is that an improvement? I don’t really know.

The Green River

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Who would have thought such a diverse estuary would be dying? I always believed we lived in a country with laws to protect this from happening. Perhaps we do until the polluter is one of the largest sources of contributions to local, state and federal politicians. It is as if no environmental laws exist. He who pays calls the shots I guess.

Florida pols are blaming the Feds and the Feds are blaming Florida. I thought you guys all worked for the people? Our Senators and Congresspersons do their dog and pony show. They take a ride on the river and see the lagoon, have a news conference, then poof they’re gone. The Governor can’t even bother doing that. At least our Florida state legislators come and take the heat but to what end?

From my dock I notice there is not even a bird, which means no fish. It does not matter whether algae is in the water or not, the oysters and fish are gone because of the salinity. The segments of our economy based on tourism and the marine industry are on the verge of collapse. Why do we put up with it? Is it that our political system is so broken that things such as this are allowed to occur?

Or maybe it runs deeper. Perhaps we have abandoned principles and morality for the expedient and greed. Is our system so broken that this is the outcome? Is doing the right thing to be impeded by ideology and the pursuit of self-aggrandizement?

As a small town elected official, l speak to those in Washington and Tallahassee. They give me the same looks and nods that my parents did when I was a kid…”you don’t understand.” Our local commissions and boards pass resolutions that express the will of the people, but the will of the powerful still prevails.

Maybe it is they that do not understand. We have had enough. Our frustrations with the water can no longer sustain business as usual. We don’t care about who gives money to whom. We don’t even care whether sugar or agriculture is good for the economy or not. We know that the quality of the water is not good for us.

The river runs green past my house. It flows to the ocean closing the beaches and killing everything in its wake. The question is as citizens do we buy into the same old routines and patterns. It’s the Democrats! It’s the Republicans! It’s the State! It’s the Federal Government! How about everyone stop blaming the other and just fix the problem. I want the river to stop being green by everyone’s house.

The Perpetual Move Of City Hall

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At a recent meeting of the governing boards of Stuart, Martin County and the School District, the majority on each board seriously discussed the building of joint facilities on a shared office campus.  There were several rationales given — we could meet in the halls and have synergy, our current building is 50 years old and approaching the end of its life, and we could save money by combining facilities which would allow the City to free up valuable property for development. What was not expressed was a cogent reason for Stuart to move forward.

It is foolish to think that City Hall can no longer serve our needs because of its age. Could the building use updating? Sure! We need to apply the same reasoning as you would to your own home. You don’t buy a new house because the bathrooms need to be redone. Could the City more efficiently use the space contained in the annex and City Hall? Of course it could. It is manifestly cheaper to reconfigure existing space than to build new space. If you look at it rationally, there is plenty of useful life left in our present City Hall.

So if we don’t need a new building, how do we save money by building one? Where does the $3 or $4 million come from to build? If we did go ahead and commit, the money would have to be borrowed through a bond issuance or a mortgage. Which circles around to the “save money” rationale. How is it less expensive than not building anything?

As to some synergistic relationship between governments, this is wishful thinking at best. (Let’s forget the concept of “Sunshine” for a moment.) All three governments have different needs and missions that do not exactly align. As the fiscally and physically smallest of the three entities, our needs would be subservient to those of the County and School Board.  Recently, the City was tasked with finding a place to hold a fire consolidation meeting. We reached out to the School Board, and they were unable to accommodate us for a variety of reasons. What happens when we are sharing a meeting chamber? Who do you think will be last in line?

A campus with the County and District will erode Stuart’s identity as an independent government. In the future, we will appear, especially to those that do not know our history, to be nothing more than a department within the County. If the County believes consolidation is a good thing, then build a campus and move the Property Appraiser and Tax Collector to a new centralized location.

Finally, we come to the last argument for moving City Hall, which is economic development of the current site. For anyone to think that some magical mystery hotel developer will appear and build a boutique luxury hotel on this current site without subsidies and tax breaks is dreaming or naïve. Even if that appearance occurs, the proposition would still need to go to referendum of our voters where it would most certainly fail. With all that said, I am not against ever moving City Hall.

Here is what I believe needs to occur for this to happen. First we need a plan. The plan needs to not only deal with City Hall but also the entire Flagler Park, historic downtown, Ocean Blvd and Colorado Avenue area. The plan will encompass opening up new or extended streets. There will be new building lots potentially along those extensions. I believe that City Hall’s current site should become part of Flagler Park.  It should not be sold or leased for commercial reasons. The downtown waterfront needs to be maintained for the people.

Within the plan there has to be a source to allow the City funds to pay for a new building. This can be accomplished by the ground lease or sale of the new building lots created along with the increased property tax revenue that will be generated. Any financing and debt service needs to be paid by this new source of revenue. If we do build a new City Hall, then the location must be in a place that will spur economic development for all of Stuart.

We need to forget dreams and fantasies and concentrate on development that can actually occur. What really would be synergistic is our residents and businesses coming together to think about what we can actually achieve while maintaining the true nature and character of Stuart.

 

 

 

 

 

Hope in Tragedy!

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We in Florida have now been touched by terrorism. Who knows why this act occurred? Was it ISIS inspired or homophobia? Was the perpetrator of this act insane or not? The reasons that he killed 49 people and wounded 53 more can only be surmised now that he is dead.

Omar Mateen was born in New York and attended high school in Martin County and college in Saint Lucie County. He lived and worked in our midst. We passed him at the mall or sat next to him at Wendy’s. Mateen was one of more than 3 million Muslims that are citizens and residents of the United States. Islam is a religion not a terrorist organization. Only last week the nation mourned the death of an American hero and Muslim, Mohammed Ali. Mateen was employed by a security company and assigned to a gate at a home owners’ association. The same company provides guards at the nuclear power plant on Hutchinson Island. Could he have been assigned to protect the power plant instead? What would have been the ramifications if he were?

We could argue about the availability of guns in our society. We could be debating whether that particular type of rifle should be sold to the general public. The F.B.I. interviewed him twice regarding his radical beliefs. Did the authorities, his employer and his family turn a blind eye to his behavior? This morning it is reported his wife drove him to the club to scope it out and was with him when he bought the ammo. Why didn’t she report it to the authorities?

In the coming days and weeks, Mr. Mateen’s life will be investigated and dissected. His life should be examined in order for us to better understand. But, what we cannot do is succumb to the terror. Terrorists win when we discard our fundamental beliefs in order to have a perceived safety, or when we begin to hate and fear our fellow Americans, or when we presume a religion or a race or an ethnic group is somehow inferior to another. If we, as a nation, do this, then we have lost the fight.

America is synonymous with freedom to the entire world. We are not safer by the loss of our freedoms or beliefs. It is so very important that we do not let terrorism succeed by making us disregard those things that we cherish. America needs to rejoice in our intellectual and political heritage…not curb it. The free expression of views, whether you are at a Trump rally or a college campus, needs to be nourished and protected.

Discrimination in any form cannot be tolerated. In colonial times, Benjamin Franklin railed against German settlers for being stupid and overrunning Pennsylvania. The Irish were thought of as animals and their papist religion was scorned. Italians, Jews and Poles were not treated better. Africans were brought here in slavery. This is our history. Assimilation into the American fabric was and still is the antidote for such intolerance. Similar to President Obama or Donald Trump, Omar Mateen was the son of an immigrant. Success is not determined by lineage but by desire.

It is no different today whether you or your parents were from Mexico or Pakistan. America means freedom. The freedoms to live, work, succeed or fail. The terrorist doesn’t win by killing us. They can’t kill 320 million Americans. Terrorists win when Americans no longer believe in America and our ideals.

Fire Consolidation: Good Only For Pols & Consultants!

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On Tuesday, the County Commission appointed two members, Sarah Heard and Ed Fielding, to a proposed Fire Consolidation Committee. Next Tuesday the Stuart City Commission will discuss whether we should do the same. I believe the City Commission should only move forward, if a consolidation is in the interest of Stuart. After examining all the data, I am of the opinion we should not move forward.

Have you ever heard the phrase “Numbers don’t lie?” That may be true, but the outcome you want to obtain can be determined by the numbers used. I am sure you have also heard the phrase “garbage in…garbage out.” This is what happened to the Fire Consolidation Study. The consultants, at least in Stuart’s case, did not bother to speak with our Finance Department. Rather they chose to use numbers that would support their conclusion that a consolidated district is possible.

From the first time I spoke to Fitch and raised doubts with certain of their assumptions, I was told that they would go back and investigate my concerns. It doesn’t appear to me that the consultants did do that. I suspect Fitch probably didn’t do so for any other questions that others had either. The result was a flawed study based on inaccurate data.

Most citizens think that Stuart pays for government through ad valorem taxes also known as real estate taxes. In actuality those taxes comprise roughly 27% (about $6.6 million dollars) of total City revenue of $23.6 million dollars. The balance collected comes from other taxes, revenue sharing, fees and other sources. Public Safety has a budget of approximately $12 million dollars with a little over $5 million being spent on Fire/Rescue. Stuart uses all sources of revenue to pay for general services that are provided. The consultant’s report intonated that the City only used the Fire Fee and real estate taxes to pay for Fire/Rescue. By backing into their numbers, they assigned 1.838 mills for fire and assumed that Stuart could cut their millage by that amount if consolidation occurs.

The County pays for Fire/Rescue strictly through a MSTU with a millage rate of 2.5263. The entire millage for Stuart is 4.5520. Martin County’s current Fire/Rescue alone is 55% of the City’s total millage rate. The consultant did not take into account Stuart’s ability to have different funding sources pay for fire service. So when calculating proposed savings to the City the consultant relied on real estate taxes and the fire fee only to pay for Fire/Rescue. They did not count any money we collect for providing service to Sewall’s Point, insurance reimbursement or other related income in allocating funds to pay for SFD. Fitch just reallocated those collections to the new entity but never deducted the amount from our total expenses to provide Fire/Rescue services.

In calculating what Fire/Rescue costs an “average” home owner in the City, the consultant used an average taxable value of $150,510.00 which is the County’s average, instead of the actual City average of $124,567.  While a Stuart condo owner has an average taxable value of $51,677. This substantially alters what the average Stuart homeowner pays for Fire Service from their price of $424 per homeowner to $360. Fitch stated in their report that the average County homeowner pays $365.

65% of our residents pay only the Fire Fee. The new district will have the same fee for everyone county wide. Therefore the vast majority of Stuart’s residential taxpayers will see no difference in their tax bill, unless the proposed new district increases the amount of the fee, which they could. What Stuart taxpayers are guaranteed to experience is a reduction in response times as outlined in the report. Still using the consultant’s numbers here is what elimination of the SFD means financially to the City:

Cost of SFD without administrative costs               $5,010,143

Fire Assessment                                                    ($1,009,857)

Fire Related Revenue                                            ($1,523,750)

Ad Valorem of 1.838                                               ($2,849,286)

City of Stuart loses                                                 ($  372,750)

To make matters worse, the City actually collected $125,000 more in the Fire Fee than the consultant claimed. This would leave a hole in our budget of $500,000. This means that Stuart could not reduce the real estate tax as much as the consultant states in his report. The City would be able to cut 1.3 to 1.4 mills. In a consolidated district the consultant has the millage at 1.4 plus the fire fee. At best the average taxpayer in the City would pay the same but loose having its own home department.

What the numbers do not show is any administrative expense. There are no costs for payroll, finance, human resources, public records or legal. They claim that through consolidated savings, administrative expenses would all be covered. The duplication of a fire chief and a few battalion chiefs won’t cover that expense. The St. Lucie County district spends about $1 million dollar on these personnel costs per year.  Any further savings to our consolidated district would come through reduction in personnel, stations and equipment. The consultant’s report does not even begin to address equipment and stations that need to be transferred and paid for somehow by the new entity.

You may hear that the City will save or the County will save with a new district. Just remember that you, the taxpayer, still pay all the bills regardless of which entity receives the money. Martin County has almost reached the limit that it can increase millage. If the County can succeed in having another district bill Fire/Rescue use then it can remove more than 2.5 mills from their current tax millage. This will allow the County to have more room to increase taxes in general. It is all smoke and mirrors. Stuart and all Martin County taxpayers ultimately receive no break; they will have one more governmental entity….one more line on their tax bill…and less control.

Even in the Fitch study, one of the findings was that stakeholders believed that they were receiving high quality service that are meeting or exceeding expectations. Another of the findings was that stakeholders have a common expectation that current performance should either be maintained or improved. For Stuart taxpayers, businesses and residents consolidation adds response times and looks to ultimately close our station on Martin Luther King, which the City is still paying a bond to construct. This is not in the interest of any of us including Stuart Fire employees, who are also stakeholders.

Another finding of the study was that overall risk is predominantly located in and around the urban areas on the eastern side of the county. That is the definition of the City of Stuart. That’s not where you should be closing stations and reducing response time. When you are having a heart attack (study states 78% of the calls are for medical emergency) do you want to wait another minute or so before help arrives? What happens when you have a fire downtown and the tracks are blocked by an All Aboard train? The closest station on that side of the track will be at Salerno Road. Will we lose all of downtown or have more damage than would have occurred, if the station had remained open on MLK?

Less service, more money and a giant department that is less accountable to the citizens. I am not voting for this. This is an idea that needs to go away. It may be a politician’s dream but not yours.